From August 24 to 29, the 4th All-Russian Conference with international participation, Mechanisms of Microorganism Adaptation to Various Environmental Conditions (MICRAD 2026), was held in Irkutsk on the shores of Lake Baikal.

MICRAD 2026 is Russia’s largest platform dedicated to the comprehensive study of microbial adaptation mechanisms and their practical applications.

Scientists from the ASU Prombiotech Engineering Center, Center Director Alena Irkitova and Research Assistant Natalia Lapshina, represented Altai State University at the conference. They presented a poster titled Microbial Antagonism: An Adaptation Mechanism or a Valuable Biotechnological Trait? Alena Irkitova also moderated the session Targeted Use of Microbial Adaptation Potential in Biotechnology.

The Director of the Prombiotech Engineering Center shared:

The participation was supported by a grant from the Governor of Altai Krai and the university’s internal academic mobility competition for young scientists. Such events are crucial for us to enhance our professional expertise and receive feedback from the expert community. We must constantly stay abreast of trends in microbiology and biotechnology.

The caliber of experts and participants at the conference was impressive, she added. Face-to-face interaction during the sessions enabled us to reinforce ASU’s scientific ties with partner universities in biotechnology. Empirical science is evolving so rapidly today that no single individual—or even a single team—can possibly master all the competencies required to conduct modern research. That is why our Prombiotech Engineering Center always advocates for partnership-based cooperation, and conferences like this one make that possible.